West Ham majority owner David Sullivan has answered a call from Joe Cole pleading for Jose Mourinho to be the next Hammers boss if Graham Potter is axed.
When Fenerbahce parted company with Jose Mourinho this weekend, links to West Ham were inevitable.
The jury is very much out on Graham Potter in east London and he has done little to prove he is the man to take the Hammers forward.
A pitiful record of just five wins from 22 games since taking over in January has piled the pressure on Potter to hold on to his job.
West Ham’s owners responded to claims Potter could be sacked if he loses at Forest – but it should be noted Julen Lopetegui was publicly backed on several occasions before being fired.
Simon Jordan thinks Karren Brady has left the door open for West Ham to sack Potter.
Cole touts Mourinho and West Ham as perfect match
The Hammers have been frightened into transfer action following the club’s worst ever start to a Premier League season.
West Ham have signed French defensive midfielder Soungoutou Magassa and a brilliant all-action midfield partner for him in Mateus Fernandes.
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The 21-year-old star became West Ham’s third most expensive ever signing as he arrived in a deal which could be worth up to £41m.
But he may not be the only Portuguese arriving at the London Stadium if speculation is anything to go by.
West Ham-linked Jose Mourinho enjoys some downtime at the F1
Photo by Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Mourinho, 62, has been linked with West Ham on several occasions in the past.
His sudden availability, coupled with Potter’s clear struggles and perceived lack of leadership, has seen Mourinho instantly linked with the West Ham job.
Especially in light of his comments about his plans when his time in Turkey came to an end.
“When I leave Fenerbahce I go to a club that doesn’t play UEFA competitions,” Mourinho said, in what was a dig at European football’s governing body.
“So if any club in England from the bottom of the table needs a coach in two years then I’m ready to go.
“And I don’t want to say anything more about it.”
That timeframe has been brought forward a year after Mourinho’s early departure.
Regardless of West Ham’s current stance, Potter’s time at the club won’t go on much longer if there is not a drastic improvement.
Especially after being backed with signings.
West Ham answer big Mourinho call after Cole’s ‘good fireworks’ claim
West Ham links to Mourinho have intensified after former Hammers star Joe Cole publicly urged the club to appoint the Portuguese coach as a ‘perfect match’.
Cole made a point of saying he feels Potter should be given a chance and perhaps until Christmas.
But Cole stated that Mourinho and West Ham would be ‘fireworks’ for all the right reasons.
“I think it’ll be fireworks if if they (Mourinho and West Ham) were together. Good fireworks,” Cole said on talkSPORT, which you can watch in full below.
“Yeah, good. I think it’ll be good.”
Mourinho was linked with West Ham when it became clear he would be leaving Roma.
Jose Mourinho does a gesture similar to the West Ham crossed Hammers celebration
Photo by Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images
David Moyes’ future was in the balance at the time and many Hammers fans were open to the idea of the self-appointed ‘special one’ lighting a fire under the club to get some excitement back at the London Stadium.
Whether Mourinho’s style of play would achieve that is open to debate but his character and winning mentality certainly would.
On the face of it, there would undoubtedly be concerns about the drama and circus Mourinho brings to any club he manages.
Some would argue his style of football is too similar to that of Moyes.
Although West Ham fans have bemoaned they are yet to see a discernible style of play or identity from Potter after eight months at the club. Certainly not one that works or is enjoyable to watch.
Mourinho is a serial winner and there is simply no comparison between his CV and that of Potter.
Before appointing Lopetegui as Moyes’ replacement last summer, TeamTalk claimed Mourinho was in the thoughts of West Ham chief David Sullivan.
At the time Hammers News put those claims to the top spokesman for Hammers chief Sullivan.
Sullivan spokesman reiterates West Ham’s Mourinho stance
When asked whether there was any truth to the rumours West Ham would consider appointing Mourinho, Sullivan’s spokesman responded – in capital letters for emphasis – said: “ZERO.”
Now Hammers News has put the new rumours about Mourinho potentially replacing Potter to the spokesman for Sullivan.
The response was more emphatic than ever.
And it is safe to say Jose Mourinho will never manage West Ham while Sullivan remains in charge.
“NEVER,” the top spokesman for Sullivan exclusively told Hammers News when asked whether the club would appoint Mourinho.
“What has he done in years? And it would be HARD WORK.”
At least West Ham fans – and Potter – know where they stand.
It would make little sense backing Potter with a flurry of his own signings only to send him packing before he has a chance to mould them into a competitive team.
But regardless of West Ham’s stance on Mourinho, Potter needs to do that sooner rather than later.